28 November 2020
Bishop Anthony Randazzo has issued his first pastoral letter to the community of the Church in Broken Bay, entitled, Jesus Christ: Our Beginning and End. It is released for the First Sunday of Advent 2020 and outlines six important priorities the Bishop has identified in his first year as the Bishop of Broken Bay.
“Each week over the past year I have written a short message to the people and clergy of Broken Bay as a way of keeping my heart and mind focused on you, God’s holy people, who have been entrusted to my pastoral care,” Bishop Anthony explains in the introduction.
“I have been your Bishop for just over a year and in that period, I have had time to consider what I believe are important priorities for our community of the Church. In six points I have summarised these priorities, and I bring them to your attention and offer them to you for your contemplation and prayer.”
The letter is addressed to the community of communities that form the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Broken Bay, some 215,000 Catholics that live within the geographical territory of the Diocese. However, Bishop Anthony makes it clear he is speaking personally to each one.
“I address this letter to you,” he says. “I had you in mind when I asked the Holy Spirit to inspire my words and guide my writing to communicate these important matters.”
The six priorities begin with the person of Jesus Christ and include such themes as discipleship, building a culture of vocation, unity, education and the poor. Bishop Anthony develops each priority with teaching and personal examples from his own life and experience within the Diocese.
Bishop Anthony sets the context of the pastoral letter in the midst of the challenges the community, and indeed the world has endured throughout 2020. Though the difficulties have been real, Bishop Anthony identified new opportunities that have also emerged.
“Your distinctive perspective has been shaped by the challenges and opportunities presented to us in a most memorable year. During 2020 we have seen bushfires, floods, a pandemic, and dramatic changes to our way of life. We have also been reminded that we have creative ways of living as the community of the Church. Most importantly, as a community of faith, this year has provided new opportunities for us to see Jesus Christ in our neighbour and in our midst.”
The Pastoral Letter in booklet form will be distributed throughout the Diocese during Advent and be a resource for parish and school communities in the coming year.
Bishop Anthony encourages all to take the pastoral letter as a point of reflection, discussion and prayer for spiritual growth and development.
“With this pastoral letter I offer to you, my brothers and sisters, the thoughts of my mind and heart and the fruit of my prayer. I hope that you will see in this work my desire to be close to you as your bishop so that together we might follow Jesus Christ as his disciples, seek the path of holiness, proclaim the Gospel to the world, and live life in the Spirit.”
Read the Pastoral Letter here: